Page 97 - Phoenix1998-99

: S P 0 R T S COMMENTARY MIAMisOffense-Defense I: Home, Sweet Home Turf BY MIKE PuSKAR AND Mnm YESTRAMSKI Sports Editor and Assistant Sports Editor 7bis newa:l1tmn is_ CIl stuff that's beal eggjz:gc _ =rs Etiit:arisl Staff; Mike P. plizys the idealistic while Mike Y. pl~ the e>pert. 1his lIDIlth tIu;y tackle _ £oot:l:al1 taom's pJ.q}uff prellC!8flaJt:s. MikeY: higher seed so that you have an performance time of the day. The main reason that I feel the team easier time and you get the home- Maybe allowing the east coast has trouble advancing is the fact field advantage and such - that's teams to get to the away game that they play the Centennial Con- your incentive for playing hard in more than just one day ahead to ference, which is no fault of its own. the regular season. It's not only to allow their bodies time to adjust The conference is just so weak that make the playoffs, but to make the to the jet lag might be something the players aren't used to playing playoffs and play at home and play they could also consider. high caliber teams when they have the weakest team in the playoffs, to; so, basically, that hurts them in etc., because, like you said, when MikeP: that it gives them lower seeds in the playing at home you have your Or perhaps they could make it so playoffs and affects where they fans. that the western team would al- play. I think they should playa Fans matter a Jot because ways be going to the east team stronger schedule, such as a stron- friends and family are there, and school, even though that would ger out-of-conference schedule, players' girlfriends are there, or affect the difference of seeds and their first three games. whatever. That's not just saying the incentive that's there. Maybe that the players don't want to per- they could pick a neutral school MikeP: form but that it brings out the parts that's east of the west team and in Like against Catholic. of them they don't know they have, the same time zone as the east the parts that are basically afraid team, if the situation is that there's MikeY: of being embarrassed in front of one west and one east team. Right. because it's been consis- family and friends. tently ranked the last couple of MikeY: years and made the playoffs and MikeP: However, I think all of this sounds everything. Such a schedule would It's not embarrassment. The sup- like a pipe-dream. But, you know, better prepare the Terrors for play- port gets the ego going and the year's ago the NFL decided that off-type games and possibly make adrenaline pumping, which gets there should be two weeks be- them look more favorable in the players rushing more and every- tween the last playoff game and eyes of the ranking bodies so that thing. It's not just support from the Superbowl instead of just one they can get a higher rank, which to allow for the jet lag to be out of would then allow them to play at , I think they should the people's bodies. This is a pos- Western Maryland instead of hav- sibility the NCAA could consider. ing to go to Trinity or Lycoming or play ... a stronger aut- I see the stronger regular season wherever else they may end up next of-conference schedule schedule as being a possibility as year. well, but, outside of that, every- their first three games. thing else is based on the hope that MikeP: every other coach and every other I agree exactly with that in that a M2: Mike Yestramski NCAA official feels this way. It's big part of the Terrors' problem is going to take something really that they weren't on home turf fans that the home team receives; major to break the traditional way you run a lot, or hoping that if you're shutting them down and knowing when Trinity was, and it really mat- it's also support from fellow play- of doing things, not just a little bit playing a team that likes to pass that that I trained harder than they did, ters where you are. When you're on ers. A team is a-Single unit and of unfairness for one team or a it rains that day. Whatever weakness than by their star player getting hurt your own turf, you know every when you break up that team by slight advantage over another. you find is what you have to attack, or because of bad weather. How- piece of the field and you can use sending 48 of the hundred and so because every team in the playoffs ever, going back to what I was say- more than just sight for sensing - players to a different college whose MikeP: theoretically is pretty much the ing, when it comes to the playoffs, you can feel everything intuitively team has all its players, the away I'm a very traditional person my- same. They're all on level ground you win however you can, and if and know where everything is. It's team is at a disadvantage. Their self, and I see the point of the tra- so you can't go strength for strength that little inch is what you need, also influenced by fans and the sup- (earn is a whole working unit and dition in the game. I'm just specu- or even your average versus their av- then so be it. port that you get. Since Trinity was our team is just a pan which lating here what could work bet- erage. You have to put your home, all their regular fans could doesn't work as well without the ter for both teams. Even though all strengths against their weaknesses, MikeP: be there; whereas there's no way others, even if the other players are societal relations are political and get every inch that you can gain on Yeah, that's also true because these that WMC could have bussed or just there supporting and not play- are always a power struggle, Istill an opponent - that's what separates four teams in the four seeds are top flown all our fans over there, it's ing that game. think that ideally a truly sporting a team from winning the national _just too much money and too much person would want things to be as championship or not. teams in their respective confer- ences; so if they are this good, you trouble. I think the best thing that Mike V: fair as possible despite tradition. have to get any advantages that you can be done, regardless of seeds or Another thing as far as the home- So somehow, even in keeping tra- MikeP: can get. Whether it be circumstan- tradition, would be to pick neutral field advantage goes is that our dition, someone might be able to Well, it is true that taking advantage tial or not, you've already had the turf that's equidistant from each players were playing in Texas- find a way to work around the tra- of weaknesses is a strength and we pride of defeating opponents by college. That way neither one that's a different time zone! So, dition while still making it more should be able to do that because, would be familiar with the ground there's the jet lag to contend with fair for both teams. I admit that I after all, getting to the top is doing finding weaknesses rather than so it would be more fair. too. There have been studies done haven't the slightest idea how that just that, taking advantage of the through circumstantial advantages. Here, I'll play devil's advocate. on the effects of jet lag with NFL would work; I'm just speaking my If we were to playa stronger sched- teams playing night games when mind. weaknesses, and it's not playing Mike V: dirty or being unspordng. However, ule and get a better seed and were east coast travels to west coast. You Agreed. I mean, the whole thing to play home turf, then the oppos- know, an eight o'clock start feels MikeY; being on home turf is more circum- goes back to it being your incen- stantial. was a that there Suppose ing college wouldn't have a fair to the east coast players like II I think about what you're saying storm one day and so a team tive for wanting to playa harder chance either, and Ithink, in being o'clock, so they're just not at their about sporting people is that, even couldn't have any good passing schedule. A very common phrase in is "to be competition any athletic sporting, you have to allow your peak: performance hour. In general, though I don't play the sport any plays; well, that's not any fault of the best you have to beat the best." opponents a fair chance as well. the east coast teams generally don't more, when Idid Isaw the differ- the team, so why should they be So, again, beating nobody is going Therefore, neutral ground would be do as well over there as when the ence between dirty playing and punished for it? ljust think that cir- to pad your record and make you the best way to handle that. west coast teams come to the east taking advantage of an opponent's cumstance is far different from play- score a lot of points, -making you coast for night games. They gen- weakness. At home, to get that ad- ing your cards right. look good, but when it all comes MikeY: erally play very well because an vantage is no different from know- down to it. To counteract what you are saying, eight o'clock game for them feels ing that your opponent can't stop Mike V: the whole point of playing the like fiveo'ctock, and that is the hu- a pass so you pass a lot, or that I would agree with that. r would take stronger regular season is to get a man body's general, ultimate peak your opponent can't stop a run so more pride in beating someone by Continued on page J8